Meet PHA’s Team

PHA’s staff is a dedicated group of individuals ready to help you find answers to your questions. Look below for job descriptions and contact information. You can also talk to a patient on our toll-free Patient-to-Patient Support Line at 1-800-748-7274.

Rino started with PHA in 1999 as the association’s first part-time staff person, and today, serves as President and CEO. Besides overall management of the association and its 35+ staff members, his responsibilities include planning, program development and fundraising. Rino works closely with PHA's Board of Trustees, its Scientific Leadership Council, Corporate Committee and is involved in many of PHA's planning committees and work groups. Read Rino’s Blog | Read more about Rino

Carl Hicks, originally from Mansfield, Ohio assumed his new role leading PHA's Field Operations initiative in September 2012. Tasked to build from the ground up, PHA's first-ever local chapters and have them operational yesterday, he comes uniquely suited for the task. He is a retired U.S. Army Combat Arms Officer, and a former successful EVP, COO, or CEO of companies in the civilian sector ranging from tech startups to nationwide SaaS firms. Previously, Carl served on the PHA Board of Trustees since 2002 and served as the chairman of the board during the period 2008 - 2010. He holds both undergraduate and graduate degrees, (business) from The Ohio State University.

Kelly D. Williams leads the Pulmonary Hypertension Association’s Communications and Marketing team, a group of talented professionals dedicated to using the organization’s electronic, marketing and communications assets to advance patient care and raise funds needed to expand patient and caregiver support, education and awareness programs for patients and healthcare professionals, and research to find ways to prevent and cure PH. Kelly’s communications background includes serving as chief communications officer for a national youth serving nonprofit, a full-service marketing, communications and advertising agency, and a publicly traded defense and government services contractor. Her clients have included major consumer brands, c-suite executives, hospitals and physicians. A former TV health reporter, Kelly believes an organization’s greatest assets are the stories of the people it serves. A mentor at heart, she has authored two parenting books for single mothers and has served as a visiting assistant professor at the University of North Florida.

Chris is responsible for the oversight of the Finance, Human Resources, Database, and Administration teams. Working closely with the President, he produces monthly financials, forecasting, and cash management reports. Chris also leads the annual budget and audit processes. As part of the management team, he is charged with organizing and developing office, staff, and system policies and procedures.

Lauren Lefkowitz leads the human resources department and manages recruiting, employee relations, training, benefits and compensation. She also oversees the information technology and office management functions for PHA. Lauren’s prior experience includes human resources management in the financial services and retail industries, as well as pro-bono work and board service with a variety of non-profit organizations.

Advocacy & Awareness

As PHA’s Senior Director of Advocacy and Awareness, Katie helps represent the PH community in conversations with the National Institutes of Health, Food and Drug Administration and other agencies. She works closely with PHA’s Washington Representative and Grassroots Campaigns Manager to build legislative support for the Pulmonary Hypertension Research and Diagnosis Act and other legislation important to the community. Katie also coordinates PHA’s advocacy events on Capitol Hill. In addition, she is currently the first point of contact for insurance-related questions.

Angelia is part of the Advocacy & Awareness Department. She works on the 435 Campaign, which aims to connect PH patients with members of Congress, and the Media Action Network, which allows PHA members to tell their stories on a local and national scale.

As Treatment Access Associate, Tim helps patients access their treatments effectively by addressing insurance-related concerns, providing feedback to specialty pharmacies and creating educational materials for patients and medical professionals. He also works to connect patients to resources and advocate for insurance policies that affect the PH community.

Communications

Renée develops external communications strategies for the national office. This includes developing high level messaging and dissemination processes for the media and the general public. She does this by engaging staff members to help promote key PHA projects and events. Renée comes to PHA with extensive experience managing public and media relations for non-profit and education organizations.

Development

Mike oversees the Development team consisting of Corporate and Foundation Relations, Major and Planned Giving, Individual Giving/Membership, and Special Events. He comes to PHA with 20 years’ experience in resource development, having begun his career as a volunteer for the March of Dimes Foundation. He held senior leadership roles at the March of Dimes and served as a field and national director for the American Diabetes Association in Alexandria, Virginia. Additionally, Mike has had management and direct fundraising responsibilities in higher education, serving as director of annual giving at Marywood University in Scranton, Pennsylvania, executive director of university development for The Catholic University of America, Washington, DC, as well as executive director of foundation and alumni relations at Germanna Community College. He has been a consultant for fundraising firms and a workshop presenter at the national conference of the Council for Resource Development. A northeastern Pennsylvania native, Mike and his family reside in Fredericksburg, Virginia. He is a graduate and alumni member of the Fredericksburg Regional Chamber of Commerce Leadership Fredericksburg program, an active member of the Rotary Club of Stafford, and campaign volunteer for Rappahannock United Way.

Joshua oversees PHA's Special Events program within our national office. This volunteer based program enables our community to fight back against PH by hosting special events or personal fundraisers. Joshua and his team provide event organizers with the necessary tools and resources to plan and implement successful fundraisers. Joshua also administers PHA's sponsorship program for special event organizers.

As Development Associate, Astoria works with the development team to support PHA programming, services and long-term growth. Astoria focuses primarily on Foundation funding and prospect management. She graduated in 2013 from the University of Richmond, VA, with a bachelor's degree in Literature, and spent two years in Baltimore, Maryland as Development Fellow at Center Stage Theater before joining PHA. During that time she completed a postgraduate certificate from the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, in Global Development Challenges.

As Development Associate, Maggie works to implement programs that foster support for PHA, its programs, services and research agenda. Maggie is also the contact for the Sustainers Circle, PHA's monthly giving program. Along with the other members of the development team, Maggie answers donor and membership inquiries.

As the Special Events Associate, Brittani provides event organizers with the resources and tools to execute successful fundraisers. She is responsible for and provides ongoing programmatic support for special event organizers as well as campaign organization. She is also assisting with the organization of the 2015 PHPN Symposium’s Networking Walk, which will be taking place in Arlington, VA. She dedicates herself in helping to engage and educate all communities about PHA’s efforts.

Field Operations - California Chapter

Tiffany leads the talented team for the California Chapter. She has an extensive background in sales and marketing as well as non-profit management and fundraising. She is passionate about engaging patients, constituents and volunteers to further the mission of the Pulmonary Hypertension Association. Prior to PHA, Tiffany was with the Northern California Chapter of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. She is an active member of her community in the Bay Area and volunteers her time with many organizations. She is a graduate of Sonoma State University, Leadership Santa Rosa Class XXIX and a recipient of the North Bay Business Journal's Forty Under 40 award.

Christine joined the Pulmonary Hypertension Association with over thirteen years of fundraising and marketing experience - across the scope from recruiting corporate sponsorships, event planning and production, and strategic development by implementing annual giving campaigns. Christine has also worked with Make-A-Wish, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, and AIDS Walk Los Angeles/NewYork/SanFrancisco. Christine is based in the Orange County area and concentrates on the Chapter's fundraising initiatives in Southern California.

As the Development Manager, Sabrina focuses on fundraising events administration and logistics that include event planning and production. She is also responsible for recruiting and managing volunteer teams in several venues throughout the San Francisco Bay Area region.

Field Operations - Greater New York & Philadelphia Chapter

Gina comes to PHA with extensive experience in fundraising for health related charities. After graduating from Iona College with a Bachelor of Arts in Communications, she spent a year traveling throughout the US and Europe with the organization "Up With People." She worked 6 years as a fundraising event coordinator for the Muscular Dystrophy Association followed by 6 years as Executive Director for the American Liver Foundation. Gina's passion is empowering patients and loved ones of those affected by an illness to fight back by raising funds to find a cure and improve their lives.

Leslie Orlovsky has more than 16 years of professional experience in the nonprofit sector as a fundraiser. Possessing a strong background in volunteer and donor development, Leslie has developed and managed a variety of fundraising campaigns and special events. As the Director of Development, Leslie is working to build and expand the donor and event portfolio for the Greater New York and Philadelphia Chapter.

Marie Mascia-Rand, Director of Community Engagement for the Greater Philadelphia Area

Marie has joined PHA with both an extensive background in fundraising and as the mother of a child with the disease. As an architectural designer she was the advisor to the Foundation during the design and construction of the Maria Fareri Children's Hospital. She later joined the MFCH development team as an event director and fundraiser. Marie's daughter Chloe was the first child to survive a major heart surgery with Prostacyclin during clinical trails. Together, they worked to create a world where PH patients had greater opportunities. As Director of Community Engagement, Marie merges her knowledge of fundraising and patient advocacy to inspire patients to empower themselves and to share how personal action can make a profound difference.

Juliette Pelletier has strong background in arts administration, fundraising, membership management and audience development, as well as 15 years fo professional experience working with non-profit organizations, coordinating national and international exhibitions and personal experience as an artist. Juliette provides expertise in the areas of organization consulting, strategic development, fundraising, marketing, public relations, promotion, event design and management.

Field Operations - Lone Star Chapter

A long-term resident of Lone Star State, Megan joins PHA with a strong background in fundraising. She graduated from Southern Methodist University in Dallas with a degree in Markets and Culture before moving back to Houston to start her non-profit career. Prior to the PHA, Megan was Senior Corporate Market Director for the American Heart Association and, most recently, Development Manager for the Children’s Museum of Houston. Megan has helped to raise in support of these organizations, and she continues to serve as a volunteer for the American Heart Association as well as the Salvation Army in Houston.

A Texas native, Meredith received her BA from from Louisiana State University and moved back to Texas where she has lived in the Houston area for the last twelve years. Sharp has worked within the non-profit industry as the Community Relations/Education/Volunteer Manager at LifeGift, an OPO servicing three regions of Texas, and most recently as Business Manager for BRITE Success, LLC's who provides services worldwide for individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. Meredith has served as a liaison for Donate Life Texas, as a member of the Houston Area Volunteer Association, the Texas Medical Center Volunteer Advisory Council and has planned numerous corporate and non-profit events including the first and second annual Donate Life event held at the Texas Medical Center.

Janna comes to PH with years of experience in event planning and fundraising. Janna began managing events in 2002 as a musician through small and large scale events. Janna received her Bachelors in Teaching and taught Kindergarten and Second Grade for several years. During that time she worked as a volunteer for the March of Dimes as a Family Team Captain and was brought in by the March of Dimes to share her story with Corporate Teams. In feeling the call to be more of an advocate for the March of Dimes, Janna left her teaching job to pursue a career as the State March for Babies Coordinator. Over the past several years Janna has used her strength in building relationships to help plan and run many other fundraising events for various Non-Profits, Music Festivals and Charitable Organizations. She is also a member of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Go Texan Committee where she plans and runs yearly events that raise money for the HLSR Scholarship Fund.

Field Operations - Midwest Chapter

Geoff Gephart comes to the Pulmonary Hypertension Association with over 15 years of nonprofit experience. Geoff has had the pleasure of supporting a variety of social and medical missions including the USO, homelessness, brain tumors, the developmentally disabled and the Boy Scouts of America. Geoff has an undergraduate degree from Arizona State University and a Masters of Public Administration – Non Profit Management from Roosevelt University. He is from the Chicago land area and currently lives in the northwest suburbs with his wife and two children.

Marcie joins PHA with a background in event management for sporting and entertainment venues including Soldier Field and the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee. Her experiences have given her the opportunity to work with many different people in exciting environments. Originally from the Chicago area, she is happy to be back in her home state. Marcie loves to spend time with family and friends attending sports and entertainment venues for new experiences and ideas. She is excited to be a part of the PHA team, has fun engaging people to ensure they have a great time and enjoys being a part of that process.

Colleen is graduate from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and started her career at the American Cancer Society in St. Louis. Colleen has experience working with several nonprofits such as, the Alzheimer's Association St. Louis Chapter, Children's Miracle Network of Greater St. Louis, St. Jude Hospital and The Alpha Phi Foundation. Colleen is excited to start planning and executing special events while gaining support for the PHA throughout the Midwest! She is eager to be back in the Chicagoland area with friends and family!

Rebekah is a recent graduate from North Park University in Chicago. She graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Communication Arts and as a Certified Nonprofit Professional. Rebekah has previously worked with other area nonprofit organizations including Bear Necessities and Twist Out Cancer. Rebekah is joining PHA eager to share the stories of her grandpa and other family members who have had and are still living with pulmonary hypertension.

Katie is a recent graduate of Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana where she earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Public Relations. She joins PHA with a background in fundraising and development at Second Harvest Food Bank, where she planned and coordinated major fundraising events across east central Indiana. New to the area, Katie and her husband enjoy exploring the history and culture of Chicago.

Finance & Administration

Jessica manages all of the information technology needs at PHA. In addition to helping out staff with technology and equipment needs, Jessica is responsible for managing the IT vendor, overseeing the office space, maintenance and purchase of office equipment and administers a variety of internal office procedures.

Randall oversees PHA’s donor database, The Raiser’s Edge. Randall serves PHA by ensuring all data is entered in a timely and accurate manner, and maintaining accurate records for all constituents. Randall assists the staff with any issues related to the database, and trains staff on how to use the database to serve their needs most effectively.

As a Database Associate, Barbara works alongside Randall McLeod on database needs. She’s currently in charge of entering all online information it into the Raise’s Edge database. Barbara has over 6 years’ experience using and operating Raise’s Edge and she is always willing to help with issues within the database.

Jessica greets and lets people through the doors of PHA. Most of her work consists of processing credit cards, checks, and orders through the PHA online store. When not doing this she is answering phones and directing calls, as well as assisting other staff members with general needs. In the near future she will be taking on the role of coordinator for Volunteer Night.

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Dorothy jumps in to help with many mailings and other tasks. Dorothy is one of PHA's very first employees, and she has seen PHA through many of its changes.

International Services

Julia facilitates the exchange of reliable information between international PH associations and promotes global awareness of the disease. Her work includes administering and promoting PHA's international seed grant program, coordinating the translation efforts of PHA's materials, establishing relationships with PH organizations abroad and engaging the international medical community. PHA is pleased to work in connection with associations around the world to serve PH patients, their families, doctors and medical researchers.

Medical Services

Michael oversees the department's involvement with PHA's professional medical membership groups, PH Professional Network (PHPN) and PH Clinicians & Researchers (PHCR), helping to facilitate networking and other activities within these groups and promoting membership. Additionally, he works closely with the Scientific Leadership Council, which provides leadership and guidance for the mission of PHA and leads the development of the wide array of all PHA's medical programming.

Jessica manages the Early Diagnosis Campaign, PHA’s effort to reduce the average time between PH symptom onset and accurate diagnosis by right heart catheterization. She coordinates the campaign’s three subcommittees, while also working to develop partnerships with other stakeholders. Jessica is the primary point of contact for both patients and medical professionals who would like to be a part of the campaign.

Lori is responsible for promoting membership in the PH Professional Network (PHPN) and helping to develop the group’s knowledge and resources to benefit the entire PH community. She provides support to each of PHPN’s five leadership committees as they work to meet their goals. Lori also assists in organizing PHA’s biennial PH Professional Network Symposium, the largest educational event in the field for PH allied health professionals.

As Medical Outreach Program Associate, Allison supports and promotes PH Clinicians and Researchers (PHCR) medical membership network. She advances PHCR by helping develop the network's various resources including the Building Medical Education in PH partnership program, PH Roundup Newsletter, and PHCR email groups. She also coordinates with the Editorial Board for the publication of Advances in PH and manages PHA's Research Program.

Briana is responsible for developing educational resources that provide patients and caregivers with information about pulmonary hypertension and its management. Briana works to create patient-oriented brochures, website content, webinars for the PHA Classroom and chats with patients. She continues to assess educational needs within the PH community and assists in the planning of PHA events such as the PHA on the Road program.

As Online Education Associate, Rizalyn develops and manages the content of Online University, which offers a wide array of pulmonary hypertension courses and professional development resources for physicians, researchers, and allied health professionals. This involves organizing its budget, social marketing efforts, peer review process, or facilitating webinars. Rizalyn helps manage the overall aim of Online University, which is to act as a powerful learning resource to those who treat patients with pulmonary hypertension.

Meetings & Conference Planning

Purti joins PHA with a background in project, event, and meeting management which includes working for an international professional organization, two non-profit organizations, and the Federal government. Purti graduated from American University in 2006 with a BA in International Studies and Public Communication and has lived in the Washington, DC area since. Purti leads the department responsible for the logistical planning of PHA’s events for patients, caregivers, and medical professionals, PHA’s leadership meetings, and the biennial International PH Conference.

Jesse is responsible for registration and providing logistical support for PHA events such as PHA's biennial International Conference and PHA on the Road. Jesse helps plan and manage the PHA on the Road events. He is also the scholarship coordinator for PHA's International Conference.

Office of the President

In the Office of the President, Paige works closely alongside President and CEO, Rino Aldrighetti. Paige manages relations with both PHA's Board of Trustees and Corporate Committee members where she is the point of contact for Board members and corporate sponsors.

Patient & Caregiver Services

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Kim creates and manages a variety of education and support programs for pulmonary hypertension patients and caregivers. She works directly with newly diagnosed patients, young adults and patients with associated illnesses and oversees programs for caregivers and parents. She aims to provide new points of entry, education and support to patients.

Olivia creates and maintains support resources for people living with PH and their caregiving family and friends. Her work is focused specifically on the pedatric, PH Plus and transplant communities, as well as spouses, parents and other types of caregivers. She helps to oversee the online activity of the PH community and expand its role in providing support.

PH Care Centers

Olivia is responsible for guiding and managing the implementation for the Pulmonary Hypertension Care Centers' (PHCC) process of accreditation. She maintains the modes of communication for each PHCC committee and PHCC taskforce as well as facilitates further discussion between these members. Olivia also provides support to the content management, resource development and organization of PHA's Online University.

Sama works to provide support for all aspects of the PHCC program. She aids in the PHCC application, review and accreditation processes through continuous communication with applicants, overall logistical assistance and site visit organization. She also contributes to the revision and update of the PHCC website.

Publications

Megan serves as PHA's primary writer, editor, and graphic designer for PHA promotional materials and print publications. She also coordinates the production and publication of PHA's newsletters and other print materials.

Allycia develops design concepts and creates visual marketing materials for PHA publications. Whether for print or online purposes, her work is used to aesthetically promote the organization's programs and events.

Jodi oversees the marketing and promotional efforts for PHA conferences and meetings, including PHA on the Road, PH Professional Network Symposium and PHA's biennial International PH Conference and Scientific Sessions. She also coordinates content for the bi-weekly e-newsletter PHANews and other general promotional materials for the association.

Volunteer Services

Debbie started at PHA in 2004 working directly with Support Line Volunteers, Support Group Leaders and Special Event planners. Today, she directly oversees Volunteer Services and Patient & Caregiver Services – two departments that provide direct support and education to the entire PH community. She is charged with the sustenance and expansion of the grassroots and volunteer spirit within PHA and working to provide support for special populations in the PH community specifically focuses on working with support group leaders and volunteers. She also serves as a member and Chair Elect of the Public Advisory Roundtable of the American Thoracic Society, a 110 year old international society with more than 15,000 researchers and clinicians in the fields of pulmonary diseases, critical illnesses and sleep-related breathing disorders.

Andrew facilitates PHA's growing network of 245+ and growing patient-led support groups and 340 support group leaders around the country. He provides leaders with PHA resources to encourage successful ongoing group management, including the Support Group Central Fund program, which sponsors food and refreshments at hundreds of PH support group meetings nationwide.

Tracey coordinates the save-the-date promotional postcard mailings of nearly 800 pulmonary hypertension support group meetings occurring each year. She helps to process shipments and general mailings, puts materials together for various meetings, acts as back-up receptionist and provides general administrative support to the staff.

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The information provided on the PHA website is provided for general information only. It is not intended as legal, medical or other professional advice, and should not be relied upon as a substitute for consultations with qualified professionals who are familiar with your individual needs.